Holding down bolts secures bed Holding down bolts &

plate to ship’s structure. chocks

Supporting Chocks supports the
bed plate – fitted around underside,
used for adjustments (alignment) of
engine.
Holding down bolts pass through
holes in supporting chocks and in
foundation plate.
End chocks – positions and
absorbs collision,also absorbs
propeller thrust incase of integral
thrust block.
Side chocks – to absorb side loads
due to unbalanced reciprocating
forces, preventing chaffing of
supporting chocks and resists lateral
forces during vessel rolling.
Chock material – CI,CS, epoxy
resin/chock fast.
Bed plate holding down bolts
The bed plates has to withstand
and transmit the stresses
arising due to 1. The firing loads
transmitted through the tie rods
2. Primary and secondary
coples of the reciprocating
masses 3. Centrifugal inertia
forces occuring when the vessel
rolls in a heavy sea.

The holes in the Tank top are

screw cut and the studs are
screwed down until the conical
face at the lower end of the
enlarged part of the stud seats
on the tank top to form water
tight joint with the grommet
• Once the engine is
supported by the
chocks the jacks are
removed and the
holding down bolts
are tightened using
a hydraulic jack to
stretch the bolts.
• Holding down bolts
should be checked
regularly for tightness.
If they are allowed to
come loose, then the
mating surfaces will rub
against each other and
wear away in a process
known as fretting. If
this continues and the
bolts are subsequently
tightened down, the
bedplate (and main
bearings) will be pulled
out of alignment.
• Side chocks are fitted
to prevent the engine
from moving sideways
due to the movement of
the vessel or because
of the sideways
component of thrust
from the reciprocating
and rotating parts.
• The chock is welded to
the foundation plate as
shown, a liner is hand
fitted on a 100:1 taper
and then driven home. 
 Checking holding down bolts
The Classification societies requirement is that
Holding-down bolts be checked by a Surveyor, within
each survey cycle. This interval of time may be too
long and the bolts should preferably be checked at 6-
monthly intervals, unless there is a case history of the
bolts going slack more frequently. In new vessels, the
bolts should be checked within one month of the
commencement of the maiden voyage, or earlier if
possible. The interval may then be gradually increased
if all is found in order. After a vessel has been through
bad weather, the bolts should be checked as soon as
possible .
• A rough method of checking Holding-down bolts is the
hammer test. Hold the tip of the thumb on one side of
the nut face and strike the nut on the opposite side. If
the nut is slack, the nut and stud spring against the
thumb and then retract. The movement can be felt
against the thumb. If a holding-down bolt is of the
fitted type, this test cannot be used, and a hydraulic
jack must be used. Due to the presence of bilge water
on the tank top at various times, the holding-down bolt
nuts may rust and seize on the studs. In this case, the
seized condition makes it seem as if the nut is tight.
The hammer testing method, however, can be used in
finding slack nuts, even when they are seized on a
stud.
Action to be taken if a number of holding-
down bolts are found to be slack
When chocks and their mating
surfaces on the bedplate and tank top have
fretted, the chocks cannot properly support
the engine. If the Holding­down bolts are
tightened, the crankshaft alignment may be
seriously affected, with lesser effects being
felt on crosshead guide and cylinder
alignment The seriousness of the situation
will be depend on the amount of fretting that
has occurred.
Before any tightening of the Holding-down
bolts is carried out, the Alignment of the
crankshaft should be checked, by taking
deflections with a dial gauge.
If the crankshaft alignment is satisfactory,
the slack chocks can be removed and
smoothed on the mating surfaces and then
replaced. The bolts can then re tightened,
to harden the chock. After all the bolts
and chocks have been tightened, the
crankshaft alignment must be rechecked
 Resin Chocking

Steel chocking has the disadvantages that each

block must be individually fitted, a time
consuming process, and after fitting are
susceptible to fretting and wear. Resin chocks
are poured and therefore are much quicker to
apply. They form into the shape of the clearance
and key into surface imperfections. This much
reduces damage due to fretting and removes
bending momemts on the holding down bolts.
The disadvantage is that the resin creation must
be precise and that it is less straight forward to
replace in the event of damage of
misaligenement.